A Tahitian pearl necklace works on almost any skin tone, but the overtone you pick is what makes it sing against your complexion. Tahitian pearls run from metallic silver through grey, green and blue to the deepest near-black, and matching that range to your skin is the difference between jewellery that looks expensive and jewellery that looks like it was made for you. Here is how we steer customers to the right strand, with images to help you picture it.

Understanding Tahitian Pearls

Tahitian pearls are cultured in the black-lipped oyster, Pinctada margaritifera, in the lagoons of French Polynesia. Their dark body colors are natural and never dyed, ranging across green, blue, grey, aubergine and charcoal. Over the body color sits the overtone, a secondary hue you catch as the pearl turns in the light: peacock, pistachio, rose, silver or blue. That overtone is the detail that decides whether a strand flatters your skin, so it is worth getting right before you look at anything else.

Determining Your Skin Tone

First, work out your undertone. The quickest test is the veins on the inside of your wrist in daylight: blue or purple veins point to a cool undertone, greenish veins to a warm one, and a mix that is hard to call usually means neutral. Burning easily leans cool; tanning easily leans warm.

• Cool Skin Tones: Blue or purple veins, and skin that burns before it tans. Silver, platinum and white gold sit best against cool skin, alongside pearls with rose, silver or blue overtones.
• Warm Skin Tones: Greenish veins and skin that tans readily. Yellow gold and copper are your metals, paired with pearls showing peacock green, pistachio or warm gold-grey overtones.
• Neutral Skin Tones: A blend of both, or veins you cannot easily read. Almost everything suits you, from silver overtones to deep peacock, so choose on instinct.

Choosing the Perfect Tahitian Pearl Necklace

1. Pearl Overtones for Your Skin Tone:

   • Cool skin: rose, silver or blue overtones lift the complexion and read crisp and bright.
   • Warm skin: peacock green and warm grey overtones echo the gold in your skin and look richer for it.
   • Neutral skin: you can run the full range, including high-contrast deep aubergine or a deliberately mixed strand of greens, blues and greys.

2. Pearl Size and Necklace Length:

   • Size and length change the whole effect. Larger pearls in the 11-14mm range make a clear statement and carry a longer princess or matinee length well. Smaller 8-10mm pearls are more versatile and sit neatly in a choker or a shorter strand close to the throat.

3. Setting and Metal:

   • The clasp and any metal in the piece should follow the same undertone logic. White gold and platinum frame cool skin; yellow gold flatters warm skin. Rose gold is the safe in-between that works on almost everyone.